Back to School Rules

By ALICE O’BRIEN Alice O’Brien Counselling, Newmarket

By now we should all be settled back into routine, school bags are packed, uniforms are part of the Friday night washing and homework has worked its way back into the evening routine. Almost as if we were never off for the long summer months.

Just in case there are some resistance to returning to the scholarly ways, here is a few tips for students, parents and even teachers to make life easier:

• Parents first - learn to reward their efforts not just their results throughout the year. Promote qualities like kindness and manners over grades. Allow your students to make mistakes - we are all human and mistakes are how we learn. Don’t forget to look after your own needs too- selfkindness is not selfish.

• Students’ next - a little bit of anxiety is normal, especially as you settle into the new routine. Your best is good enough - be proud of your effort. Never compare yourself or your grades to others- we all learn in different ways. If you see someone struggling try to help, don’t assume someone else will, be kind to others whenever you can. Relax, take a breath- Rome wasn’t built in a day, you have plenty time to learn it all.

• Not forgetting the teachersset good boundaries, emails and calls can wait until the morning. Get the routine going early - predictable classroom structure benefits both teacher and pupil. Your best is good enough. Practice self-compassion, be as kind to yourself as you would to your students.

Remember, back to school is an adjustment to everyone, students, teacher and parents alike. Even those of us who have no role in the school system need to adjust to the new traffic on our commute - so let’s all be patient and kind to each other until it becomes part of the routine again, or at least until we are all off again for Halloween.